Clothes rack



United States 'Patent O 3,291,434 CLOTHES RACK Thomas Joseph Whitechester, 3806 Nob Hill Blvd., Yakima, Wash. Filed June 18, 1965, Ser. No. 464,932 Claims. (Cl. 248-356) This invention relates to a clothes rack and relates particularly to a collapsible rack with a tension type support which may be readily set up and taken down.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a device of the type described which is lsturdy and durable in construction, reliable and ecient in operation, .and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble, utilize and maintain.

Another object of this invention is the 'provision of a Iclothes rack having a tension type support means which automatically adjusts itself within limits t-o the speciiic location wherein it is used.

A further object of the instant invention is the Vprovision of a clothes rack or the like which is collapsible and which will form a compact unit for storage.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible clothes rack which may be quickly and easily assembled for. use, and quickly and easily disassembled for storage.

Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and features of construcnon.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE l is a `side elevational 'view of the device of the instant invention assembled in operative relationship;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross section-al view taken substantially on line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged longitudinal -cross sectional view of a portion of the device particularly showing the tension spring means therein maintaining the same in assembled relationship;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse cross sectional View taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the portion of the device shown in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of the device collapsed for storage.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, a clothes rack or the like in accordance with the instant inventive concept is designated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises basically yan upper standard member 12, ,a lower standard member 14, `guide means 16 slidably securing the two standard members to each other, tension spring means 18 normally urging the standard members apart for eng-agement of the upper end 20 of the upper standard member 12 with a ceiling or the like 22 and the lower end 24 of .the lower standard member 14 with a floor or the like 26, and a crossbar 28 carried by the stan-dard members and adapted for receiving clothes or the like ei-ther on han-ger members or in `any other conventional manner.

The standard members 12, 14 are illustrated as having a regular polygonal cross-sectional configuration including side surfaces and face surfaces and ihave elongated longitudinally extending grooves 30, 32 defined in opposed face surfaces which are maintained juxtaposed to each other by the guide members 116. Each guide member 16 is substantially C-shaped and one of the guide members has its free end portions secured yto a lower end 34 of the ice upper standard member 12 receiving the lower standard member 14 in sliding relationship, while the other guide member 16 has its free end portions secured adjacent the upper end 36 of the lower standard member 14 while receiving the upper standard member 12 in sliding relationship.

One end 37 of the spring means 18 is xedly secured Iby engagement over a pin or the like 38 carried by the upper end 36 of the lower standard member 14 with a hooked free end 40 of the spring means 18 removably engaged over the lower end 34 of the upper standard member 12. By detaching the hook element 4d the entire spring means -18 may be received in the elongated longitudinally extending grooves 30, 32 for storage.

A transversely extending groove 42 is dened in `spaced relationship to the upper end 36 of the lower standard member 14 for sli-dingly receiving the crossbar 28 in the assembled relationship. r[he standard members 12, 14 bearing elongated longitudinally extending grooves 30, 32, the spring means 18 and the crossbar are dimensioned so that the cnossbar 28 may be received in the elongated longitudinally extending grooves 30, 32 for storage when the hook end 40 of the spring means 18 is detached and the standard members 12, 14 are slid with resp'ect to each other until the upper ends 20, 36 and the lower ends 24, 34 of each are substantially aligned as shown particularly in FIGURE 7.

The standard members and the crossba-r may be made of any desired material and in any ydesired shape. For illustrative purposes the elements are shown as rectangular in cross section, 'but it will be readily understood that they could be cylindrical if desired. Inexpensive models may be formed of wood, w-hile more sophisticated ernbodim'ents may be made of plastic or meta-l. The crossbar 28 can have grooves or the like (not shown) to maintain conventional clothes hangers in position. The upper end 20 of the upper standard member 12 and the lower end 24 of the lower standard member 14 can include pads 43, 45 to preclude damage or discoloration of the surfaces which they engage. The dimensions of this device will vary depending upon the location where it is to be used. For example, the length of the standard members and the spring means could be such that the device could be readily utilized without further Iadjustment in rooms having from 7 to 9 foot ceilings.

The use and operation of the device of the instant invention will now be apparent. When it is desired to assemble the device for use, the crossbar 28 is slid from the elongated longitudinally extending grooves 30, 32 and the standard members 12, 14 are slid apart within the guide means 16 until the hook end 40 of the spring means 18 can be engaged over the lower end 34 of the upper standard member 12. whereby the tension of the spring means 18 will force the standard members apart for secure engagement between the ceiling and the oor. The crossbar 28 can then be slipped into the transverse groove 42 for use. Disassembly of the device merely requires reversing the above procedure. The clothes rack may be utilized in a bath tub to receive drip dry clothes or may be utilized in a storage area for extra hanging space, or adjacent an ironing board as a caddy for ironed clothes. `Other such uses will be -obvious to those with ordinary skill in the art.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an irnproved clothes rack or the like which satisfies all of the objectives of the instant invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made lof the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A clothes rack or the like comprising an upper standard member and a lower standard member each having upper ends, lower ends, side surfaces and opposed face surfaces, guide means secured to one of said standard members and slidingly receiving the other standard member with face surfaces of each standard member juxtaposed to each other, elongated longitudinally extending grooves defined in said last mentioned face surfaces of each standard member in opposed relation, tension spring means received in said grooves and having opposite ends secured to said upper end of said lower standard member and said lower end of said upper standard member, respectively, a transversely extending groove defined in said last mentioned face surface of said lower standard member spaced from said upper end thereof, and a crossbar slidingly received in said transversely extending groove with end portions extending beyond both side surfaces of said standard members.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein one end of said spring means is fixedly secured to said lower standard member adjacent said upper end thereof, the other end 25 of said spring means being removably secured to said upper standard member adjacent said lower end thereof, whereby when said other end of said spring means is detached, the entire spring means may be received in said elongated longitudinally extending grooves for storage.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said other end of said spring means includes a hook element engageable over said lower end of said upper standard member.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein said standard members, said elongated longitudinally extending grooves, said spring means and said crossbar are dimensioned so that said crossbar may be received in said elongated longitudinally extending grooves for storage when said other end of said spring means is detached and said standard members are slid with respect to each other until said upper ends of each and said lower ends of each are substantially aligned.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein pads are provided on the lower ends of said lower standard members for precludng damage to a supporting surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 545,918 9/1895 Smith et al 248-356 743,758 11/1903 Schrader 211-171 1,229,976 6/1917 Klais 248-356 2,903,227 9/1959 Key 248-356 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CLOTHES RACK OR THE LIKE COMPRISING AN UPPER STANDARD MEMBER AND A LOWER STANDARD MEMBER EACH HAVING UPPER ENDS, LOWER ENDS, SIDE SURFACES AND OPPOSED FACE SURFACES, GUIDE MEANS SECURED TO ONE OF SAID STANDARD MEMBERS AND SLIDINGLY RECEIVING THE OTHER STANDARD MEMBER WITH FACE SURFACES OF EACH STANDARD MEMBER JUXTAPOSED TO EACH OTHER, ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GROOVES DEFINED IN SAID LAST MENTIONED FACE SURFACES OF EACH STANDARD EMMBER IN OPPOSED RELATION, TENSION SPRING MEANS RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVES AND HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS SECURED TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID LOWER STANDARD MEMBER AND SAID LOWER END OF SAID UPPER STANDARD MEMBER, RE- 